Shewasinlightspringclothing，andheradventseemedghostly-liketheflittinginofamoth。Heturnedhiseyesuponher，andflushed；
　　butappearedtocheckhisprimaryimpulsetospeak。
　　`Ihavenobusinesshere，’shesaid，bendingherfrightenedfacetohim。`ButIheardyouwereill-veryill；and-andasIknowthatyourecognizeotherfeelingsbetweenmanandwomanthanphysicallove，Ihavecome。’
　　`Iamnotveryill，mydearfriend。Onlyunwell。’
　　`Ididn’tknowthat；andIamafraidthatonlyasevereillnesswouldhavejustifiedmycoming！’
　　`Yes……yes。AndIalmostwishyouhadnotcome！Itisalittletoosoon-that’sallImean。Still，letusmakethebestofit。Youhaven’theardabouttheschool，Isuppose？’
　　`No-whataboutit？’
　　`OnlythatIamgoingawayfromheretoanotherplace。ThemanagersandIdon’tagree，andwearegoingtopart-that’sall。’
　　Suedidnotforamoment，eithernoworlater，suspectwhattroubleshadresultedtohimfromlettinghergo；itneveronceseemedtocrosshermind，andshehadreceivednonewswhateverfromShaston。Theytalkedonslightandephemeralsubjects，andwhenhisteawasbroughtuphetoldtheamazedlittleservantthatacupwastobesetforSue。Thatyoungpersonwasmuchmoreinterestedintheirhistorythantheysupposed，andasshedescendedthestairssheliftedhereyesandhandsingrotesqueamazement。WhiletheysippedSuewenttothewindowandthoughtfullysaid，`Itissuchabeautifulsunset，Richard。’
　　`Theyaremostlybeautifulfromhere，owingtotherayscrossingthemistofthevale。ButIlosethemall，astheydon’tshineintothisgloomycornerwhereIlie。’
　　`Wouldn’tyouliketoseethisparticularone？Itislikeheavenopened。’
　　`Ahyes！ButIcan’t。’
　　`I’llhelpyouto。’
　　`No-thebedsteadcan’tbeshifted。’
　　`ButseehowImean。’
　　Shewenttowhereaswing-glassstood，andtakingitinherhandscarriedittoaspotbythewindowwhereitcouldcatchthesunshine，movingtheglasstillthebeamswerereflectedintoPhillotson’sface。
　　`There-youcanseethegreatredsunnow！’shesaid。`AndI
　　amsureitwillcheeryou-Idosohopeitwill！’Shespokewithachildlike，repentantkindness，asifshecouldnotdotoomuchforhim。
　　Phillotsonsmiledsadly。`Youareanoddcreature！’hemurmuredasthesunglowedinhiseyes。`Theideaofyourcomingtoseemeafterwhathaspassed！’
　　`Don’tletusgobackuponthat！’shesaidquickly。`Ihavetocatchtheomnibusforthetrain，asJudedoesn’tknowIhavecome；hewasoutwhenIstarted；soImustreturnhomealmostdirectly。Richard，Iamsoverygladyouarebetter。Youdon’thateme，doyou？Youhavebeensuchakindfriendtome！’
　　`Iamgladtoknowyouthinkso，’saidPhillotsonhuskily。`No。
　　Idon’thateyou！’
　　Itgrewduskquicklyinthegloomyroomduringtheirintermittentchat，andwhencandleswerebroughtanditwastimetoleavesheputherhandinhisorratherallowedittoflitthroughhis；forshewassignificantlylightintouch。Shehadnearlyclosedthedoorwhenhesaid，`Sue！’Hehadnoticedthat，inturningawayfromhim，tearswereonherfaceandaquiverinherlip。
　　Itwasbadpolicytorecallher-heknewitwhilehepursuedit。Buthecouldnothelpit。Shecameback。
　　`Sue，’hemurmured，`doyouwishtomakeitup，andstay？I’llforgiveyouandcondoneeverything！’
　　`Ohyoucan’t，youcan’t！’shesaidhastily。`Youcan’tcondoneitnow！’
　　`Heisyourhusbandnow，ineffect，youmean，ofcourse？’
　　`Youmayassumeit。HeisobtainingadivorcefromhiswifeArabella。’
　　`Hiswife！Itisaltogethernewstomethathehasawife。’
　　`Itwasabadmarriage。’
　　`Likeyours。’
　　`Likemine。Heisnotdoingitsomuchonhisownaccountasonhers。Shewroteandtoldhimitwouldbeakindnesstoher，sincethenshecouldmarryandliverespectably。AndJudehasagreed。’
　　`Awife……Akindnesstoher。Ah，yes；akindnesstohertoreleaseheraltogether……ButIdon’tlikethesoundofit。Icanforgive，Sue。’
　　`No，no！Youcan’thavemebacknowIhavebeensowicked-astodowhatIhavedone！’
　　TherehadariseninSue’sfacethatincipientfrightwhichshoweditselfwheneverhechangedfromfriendtohusband，andwhichmadeheradoptanylineofdefenceagainstmaritalfeelinginhim。`Imustgonow。
　　I’llcomeagain-mayI？’
　　`Idon’taskyoutogo，evennow。Iaskyoutostay。’
　　`Ithankyou，Richard；butImust。AsyouarenotsoillasI
　　thought，Icannotstay！’
　　`She’shis-hisfromlipstoheel！’saidPhillotson；butsofaintlythatinclosingthedoorshedidnothearit。Thedreadofareactionarychangeintheschoolmaster’ssentiments，coupled，perhaps，withafaintshamefacednessatlettingevenhimknowwhataslipshodlackofthoroughness，fromaman’spointofview，characterizedhertransferredallegiance，preventedhertellinghimofher，thusfar，incompleterelationswithJude；andPhillotsonlaywrithinglikeamaninhellashepicturedtheprettilydressed，maddeningcompoundofsympathyandaversenesswhoborehisname，returningimpatientlytothehomeofherlover。
　　GillinghamwassointerestedinPhillotson’saffairs，andsoseriouslyconcernedabouthim，thathewalkedupthehill-sidetoShastontwoorthreetimesaweek，although，thereandback，itwasajourneyofninemiles，whichhadtobeperformedbetweenteaandsupper，afterahardday’sworkinschool。WhenhecalledonthenextoccasionafterSue’svisithisfriendwasdownstairs，andGillinghamnoticedthathisrestlessmoodhadbeensupplantedbyamorefixedandcomposedone。
　　`She’sbeenheresinceyoucalledlast，’saidPhillotson。
　　`NotMrs。Phillotson？’
　　`Yes。’
　　`Ah！Youhavemadeitup？’
　　`No……Shejustcame，pattedmypillowwithherlittlewhitehand，playedthethoughtfulnurseforhalfanhour，andwentaway。’
　　`Well-I’mhanged！Alittlehussy！’
　　`Whatdoyousay？’
　　`Oh-nothing！’
　　`Whatdoyoumean？’
　　`Imean，whatatantalizing，capriciouslittlewoman！Ifshewerenotyourwife’
　　`Sheisnot；she’sanotherman’sexceptinnameandlaw。AndI
　　havebeenthinking-itwassuggestedtomebyaconversationIhadwithher-that，inkindnesstoher，Ioughttodissolvethelegaltiealtogether；
　　which，singularlyenough，IthinkIcando，nowshehasbeenback，andrefusedmyrequesttostayafterIsaidIhadforgivenher。Ibelievethatfactwouldaffordmeopportunityofdoingit，thoughIdidnotseeitatthemoment。What’stheuseofkeepingherchainedontomeifshedoesn’tbelongtome？Iknow-Ifeelabsolutelycertain-thatshewouldwelcomemytakingsuchastepasthegreatestcharitytoher。Forthoughasafellow-creatureshesympathizeswith，andpitiesme，andevenweepsforme，asahusbandshecannotendureme-sheloathesme-there’snouseinmincingwords-sheloathesme，andmyonlymanly，anddignified，andmercifulcourseistocompletewhatIhavebegun……Andforworldlyreasons，too，itwillbebetterforhertobeindependent。Ihavehopelesslyruinedmyprospectsbecauseofmydecisionastowhatwasbestforus，thoughshedoesnotknowit；Iseeonlydirepovertyaheadfrommyfeettothegrave；forI
　　canbeacceptedasteachernomore。Ishallprobablyhaveenoughtodotomakebothendsmeetduringtheremainderofmylife，nowmyoccupation’sgone；andIshallbebetterabletobearitalone。Imayaswelltellyouthatwhathassuggestedmylettinghergoissomenewsshebroughtme-
　　thenewsthatFawleyisdoingthesame。’
　　`Oh-hehadaspouse，too？Aqueercouple，theselovers！’
　　`Well-Idon’twantyouropiniononthat。WhatIwasgoingtosayisthatmyliberatinghercandohernopossibleharm，andwillopenupachanceofhappinessforherwhichshehasneverdreamtofhitherto。
　　Forthenthey’llbeabletomarry，astheyoughttohavedoneatfirst。’
　　Gillinghamdidnothurrytoreply。`Imaydisagreewithyourmotive，’
　　hesaidgently，forherespectedviewshecouldnotshare。`ButIthinkyouarerightinyourdetermination-ifyoucancarryitout。Idoubt，however，ifyoucan。’
　　JudetheObscureChapter35PartFifthAtAldbrickhamandElsewhere`Thyaerialpart，andallthefierypartswhicharemingledinthee，thoughbynaturetheyhaveanupwardtendency，stillinobediencetothedispositionoftheuniversetheyareover-poweredhereinthecompoundmassthebody。’-M。AntoninusLong。
　　V-iHowGillingham’sdoubtsweredisposedofwillmostquicklyappearbypassingovertheseriesofdrearymonthsandincidentsthatfollowedtheeventsofthelastchapter，andcomingontoaSundayintheFebruaryoftheyearfollowing。
　　SueandJudewerelivinginAldbrickham，inpreciselythesamerelationsthattheyhadestablishedbetweenthemselveswhensheleftShastontojoinhimtheyearbefore。Theproceedingsinthelaw-courtshadreachedtheirconsciousness，butasadistantsoundandanoccasionalmissivewhichtheyhardlyunderstood。
　　Theyhadmet，asusual，tobreakfasttogetherinthelittlehousewithJude’snameonit，thathehadtakenatfifteenpoundsayear，withthree-pounds-tenextraforratesandtaxes，andfurnishedwithhisaunt’sancientandlumberinggoods，whichhadcosthimabouttheirfullvaluetobringallthewayfromMarygreen。Suekepthouse，andmanagedeverything。
　　AsheenteredtheroomthismorningSueheldupalettershehadjustreceived。
　　`Well；andwhatisitabout？’hesaidafterkissingher。
　　`ThatthedecreenisiinthecaseofPhillotsonversusPhillotsonandFawley，pronouncedsixmonthsago，hasjustbeenmadeabsolute。’
　　`Ah，’saidJude，ashesatdown。
　　ThesameconcludingincidentinJude’ssuitagainstArabellahadoccurredaboutamonthortwoearlier。Bothcaseshadbeentooinsignificanttobereportedinthepapers，furtherthanbynameinalonglistofotherundefendedcases。
　　`Nowthen，Sue，atanyrate，youcandowhatyoulike！’Helookedathissweetheartcuriously。
　　`Arewe-youandI-justasfreenowasifwehadnevermarriedatall？’
　　`Justasfree-except，Ibelieve，thataclergymanmayobjectpersonallytoremarryyou，andhandthejobontosomebodyelse。’
　　`ButIwonder-doyouthinkitisreallysowithus？Iknowitisgenerally。ButIhaveanuncomfortablefeelingthatmyfreedomhasbeenobtainedunderfalsepretences！’
　　`How？’
　　`Well-ifthetruthaboutushadbeenknown，thedecreewouldn’thavebeenpronounced。Itisonly，isit，becausewehavemadenodefence，andhaveledthemintoafalsesupposition？Thereforeismyfreedomlawful，howeverproperitmaybe？’
　　`Well-whydidyouletitbeunderfalsepretences？Youhaveonlyyourselftoblame，’hesaidmischievously。
　　`Jude-don’t！Yououghtnottobetouchyaboutthatstill。YoumusttakemeasIam。’
　　`Verywell，darling：soIwill。Perhapsyouwereright。Astoyourquestion，wewerenotobligedtoproveanything。Thatwastheirbusiness。
　　Anyhowwearelivingtogether。’
　　`Yes。Thoughnotintheirsense。’
　　`Onethingiscertain，thathoweverthedecreemaybebroughtabout，amarriageisdissolvedwhenitisdissolved。Thereisthisadvantageinbeingpoorobscurepeoplelikeus-thatthesethingsaredoneforusinaroughandreadyfashion。ItwasthesamewithmeandArabella。Iwasafraidhercriminalsecondmarriagewouldhavebeendiscovered，andshepunished；butnobodytookanyinterestinher-nobodyinquired，nobodysuspectedit。Ifwe’dbeenpatentednobilitiesweshouldhavehadinfinitetrouble，anddaysandweekswouldhavebeenspentininvestigations。’
　　BydegreesSueacquiredherlover’scheerfulnessatthesenseoffreedom，andproposedthattheyshouldtakeawalkinthefields，eveniftheyhadtoputupwithacolddinneronaccountofit。Judeagreed，andSuewentup-stairsandpreparedtostart，puttingonajoyfulcolouredgowninobservanceofherliberty；seeingwhichJudeputonalightertie。